Red Queen, Oregon

[SamuelMamuel]

Found her on my patio. She is red with a black abdomen. I am thinking camponautus. About 1 cm long. I thought she was just a worker at first, but her back is flat and she is for sure a queen.

[Antsinohio]

Its Camponotus floridanus or formica integroides.

[SamuelMamuel]

Its Camponotus floridanus or formica integroides.

Well I'm in Oregon and that species of Camponautus are only in and near Florida. I have some better pictures if that would help.

[Antsinohio]

Ok post them and i will double check and see if i can figure it out

[SamuelMamuel]

Ok post them and i will double check and see if i can figure it out

Hope these help.

[Antsinohio]

How long is she?

[Jadeninja9]

I agree with Formica integroides

[Batspiderfish]

A Formica social parasite of some sort. Can't tell the species from these pictures. She will need some Formica pupae.

[SamuelMamuel]

A Formica social parasite of some sort. Can't tell the species from these pictures. She will need some Formica pupae.

What does that mean? Sorry mate, only got the ant basics down

[Batspiderfish]

To save the trouble of looking it up: A social parasite is a species which depends on the workers of another species or colony for some duration of the parasite species' existence. Parasitic Formica are temporary social parasites which usually drive out or kill the adult members of a small Formica host colony and care for the brood/pupae left behind. Those host workers help to raise the parasitic queen's first brood. By using this strategy, queens become much less expensive for a colony produce and also turns a potential competitor into the beginning of the queen's own parasitic colony.